Electric steam iron



July 6, 1954 J. H. coNE ELECTRIC STEAM IRON 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April23 1951 W C W S Gttornegs July 6, 1954 J, H CCNE 2,682,719

ELECTRIC STEAM IRON Filed April 23/1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 SnventorJose/0?@ H Came?.

Gttornegs Patented July 6, 1954 ELECTRIC STEAM IRON .loseph H. Cone,Bridgeport, Conn., assignor '-to CascoProducts Corporation,Bridgeport,ionn., a corporation of Connecticut Application April 23,1951, Serial No. v222,381

(Cl. 38-'i7) 14 Claims. 1

This invention relates to safety valve and tank .filling and emptyingmeans of steamirons, particularly those of the boiler type.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved steam iron whereinthe tank or boiler may be very easily and quickly filled `or completelyemptied whenever desired.

Another object oi' the invention is vto provide an improved boiler typesteam iron characterlized as above, incorporating safety valve means inconjunction with eective emptying means in a manner to obtain anextremely 'simple and rel'liable construction and one not likely to getout of order afterextended use.

A further object of the invention is to provide ra simple and easilyinstalled unitary replacement part for existing boiler-type steam irons,comprising a -combined steam dome, emptying valve andsafetyvalve-whereby'the operation and performance of said existing irons maybesimply and economically improved.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a steam ironaccording to the foregoing,

having improved and simpliied Vstopper means for the filler opening, tominimize the likelihood of vspluttering when lling a hot iron and toreduce the cost of the stopper.

A still further object of the invention is to -provide in a steam ironof the above type im'- 'proved and simplified indicator means, in con--junction'with the Vfiller means, to apprise a user Athat the boiler isfull during the lling operation.

VIn accomplishing the yabove vobjects I provide `a novel iron structurecomprising, in the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated, a#boiler having separate and distinct water filling and emptying means.Preferably the emptying means is associated with the steam dome of theiron to provide a unitary assemblage and to simplify the structure andavoid duplication of parts Vas will be later brought out in detail. In

carrying this out I provide a discharge opening in the top of the steamdome, and a novel stopper assembly for sealing and unsealing saiddischarge opening. The stopper assembly is held captive by the steamdome .and is so arranged that'it remains in-either avsea-ling positionor an unsealing position, being maintained therein by yieldable meansand being readily shiftable manually between said positions. When inunsealing position, the stopper permits water to flow out of the steamdome should the boiler -be turned upside down, and by virtue of thedischarge oriiice being in the top of the dome, practically all `of thecontent of the boiler may be easilyv and quickly emptied. When insealing tposition the stopperniay be unseated by excessive steampressure, thus enabling it to act as Va safety valve. In addition, theyieldable means of the stopper assembly operates to move 'the stopper tosealing position if, when it is in Aunsealing position, it is shiftedtoward sealing posi- Ation a predetermined extent, thus enabling anautomatic closing of the stopper to be eiected if 'the iron is of thetype illustrated herein, having a hinged vhandle which vis swung back to-eX- pose the filling Aand emptying/means.

By -providingfa steam dome which is readily demountable, and lby`incorporating the emptying and safety valve means in the steam dome Iam enabled to provide an advantageous unitary replacement unit`forrexisting steam irons, comprising a combined steam dome, emptyingvalve and safety valve. Accordingly a deficiency of present irons withsingle-.purpose steam domes, i. e. the diculty of completely emptyingthe boiler, may be quickly, simply and economically corrected by a mereexchange of parts.

kI also provide Ya novel stopper lfor the filler opening which is of-simplied construction, comprising merely 'a closure member having ahollow, apertured mounting barrel movably carried in the ller openingfeto position the closure in sealing or unsealing positions. The closuremay Ybe readily raised or lowered manually when the 'handle of the -ironis in swung-back position,

and for the raised position Vof the stopper the apertures andstrueture'of the barrel and stopper .function to `minimize splutteringif the boiler is 'filled when the Yiron is heated.

Other Vfeatures and vadvantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 .is a side `view partly in elevation and partly in verticalsection of alhinged handle type steam iron embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 isa fragmentary vertical seetional View of the steam dome andsafety valve portion of the viron and associated structure-showing thesafety valve in blow-oli position. Y

Fig. 3 is-a side view partly in section and partly in elevation of -the.iron with the handle raised, and with the stopper for the steam dome inunseated position .for emptying the boiler.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the steam domean'dstopper means associated therewith.

Fig. 5 is a separate detail, partly in elevation and partly in verticalsection, showing the filler opening and Vstopper therefor, with thestopper in unsealing position. n

Fig. 6 is a view like Fig. 5 but showing a modified form of stopper,provided with indicator means.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, the improved steam iron of this inventioncomprises a sole plate mounting a boiler 2l and casing 22.

Pivotally secured to the casing 22 at its rear is a handle structure 23comprising a generally fiat base portion 2li, front and rear uprightposts 25 and 25 and a handle proper 21. The front post 23 of the handlestructure is made hollow, having a recess 23 to clear an upright taperedthimble or steam dome 29 secured to the forward upper portion of theboiler 2 i. Within the dome 23 a steam pipe 30 is disposed, leading to asteam chamber 25a, in the sole plate 20, which in turn communicates withvent holes 20o in the sole plate. Bafiies 3l are arranged around thesteam pipe 3@ to minimize the likelihood of water splashing into thepipe.

In accordance with the present invention the boiler 2l is provided witha iiller opening 32 and a separate water discharge opening 33, thelatter'` being in the top of the steam dome 29. At the ller opening 32 afunnel 34 is mounted, carried on the top wall portion of the boiler andextending downward. Novel and simplified anti-splutter stopper means areprovided for the filler opening 32, enabling the boiler 23 to be easilyand quickly lled even when the iron is hot. This stopper means comprisesa sealing ring 35 of rubber-like or gasket material, carried at the endof a hollow stem or barrel 36 having elongate openings 31 in its walls,said stem being axially movable in a cylindrical bottom portion 34a. ofthe funnel 34. The bottom of the stem 36 has a flange 38 providing astop when the stem is raised, and the top of the stem is outwardlyflanged and has press-fitted to it a tapered handle 39 terminating in aknob Q0. Detent nibs 36a are provided on the walls of the barrel 36 andsaid walls are made resilient whereby the nibs may be forced through thefunnel portion 34a. to yieldably hold the stopper in raised or loweredpositions. In Fig. l the stem 36 and stopper 35 are lowered whereby theopening 32 is sealed. If it should be desired to fill the boiler 2l, thehandle structure 23 is raised, and the stopper 35 and stem 36 raised bythe knob fli, whereupon water may be introduced into the funnel to iiowto the boiler. When the water rises into the bottom of the funnel 34 itwill indicate that the boiler is full, whereupon the stopper may bepressed down and the excess water if any poured from the funnel bytilting the iron. During the filling of the boiler through the funnelair will be vented from the boiler through the steam pipe 30 anddischarge openings 23a in the sole plate. Also, air may be ventedlthrough the top areas of the openings 31 in the stem 35. Preferably thebase 24 of the handle structure 23 is provided with a dependingprojection 3! arranged to engage the knob 40 and depress the stopper 35to sealing position when the handle structure 23 is swung down from theposition of Fig. 3 with the stopper raised. The provision of therelatively large, elongate openings 31 in conjunction with theobstructing effect of the handle 39 and knob 40 result in a minimum ofspluttering if the boiler should be filled while the iron is hot. Thereason for this is that water and steam which may be forced up throughthe ller opening will strike the underside of the handle 39 and havetheir force dissipated, while vapors are permitted to escape ingenerally lateral directions through the upper portions of the openings31.

For the purpose of latching the handle structure 23 in the closed oroperative position shown in Fig. l, a latch mechanism is providedcomprising a knob i4 carried on a shaft 45 passing through the base 24of the handle structure. The lower end of the shaft has a crosshead 33passing through a slot 411 in a latch plate d8 secured to the casing 22.When the crosshead d6 extends transversely of the slot 'i1 the latch isoperative to hold the handle structure in the closed position of Fig. l.When the knob 114 is turned to extend the crosshead d6 longitudinally ofthe slot 131 the latch releases the handle structure 23 and the lattermay be swung upward to the lling position shown in Fig. 3.

in accordance with the present invention novel manually operable stoppermeans are provided on the steam dome 29, functioning for the purpose ofemptying the boiler when the iron is inverted and also as a safety valveduring operation of the iron. In this connection it will be noted thatthe tapered shape of the dome 29 enables it to function as a spout whenthe iron is being emptied. By the provision of the stopper means on thedome, and by making the dome readily demountable I obtain a desirableand advantageous unitary replacement assemblage for a steam iron wherebyits operation and performance can be appreciably improved, as will bebrought out shortly.

Referring to Fig. fi, this closure structure comprises a barrel 49slidable longitudinally in the discharge opening 33 of the steam dome23. At its lower end the barrel 49 is flared outward, providing a ange513 which acts as a guide by engagement with the inside of the steamdome. The flange 5@ also engages one end of a helical compression spring5i the other end of which engages the underside of the top of the steamdome. The upper end of the barrel fig carries a sealing washer 52 whichmay be of rubber or rubber-like material, said washer being held in aiianged disk 53. The side walls of the barrel i9 are provided withdischarge openings 54. It will be observed that the spring 5i normallyyieldably holds the washer 52 in engagement with the top of the steamdome 29 whereby the discharge opening thereof is sealed. To oppose theaction of the spring 5l l provide a lanced finger 55 in the wall of thebarrel 49, having a rounded or bulbous end portion 53 adapted to engagethe edge of the discharge opening 33 of the steam dome. rl"he finger 55is so adjusted that it will maintain the stopper washer 52 and barrel 43in raised or emptying position as shown in Fig. 3 in consequence of thewasher being manually lifted to said position. The finger 55 thus actsas a spring detent. If the washer 52 should be depressed a predeterminedamount, by nib 25a in the post 25 when the handle swings down, causingthe bulbous portion 5,5 of the finger to pass the edge of the dischargeopening 33, then the spring 5l will operate to complete the downwardmovement of the washer and maintain the latter in sealing engagementwith the top of the steam dome The spring 5l is of a strength to enableexcess steam pressure to lift the washer 52 on of the seat of the steamdome opening whereby steam may be discharged into the recess 23 of thefront handle post 25, and be thereby dissipated. Accordingly the stopperstructure shown in Fig. 4 functions as an eflicient and effective safetyvalve when the iron is being used. In Fig. 2 the washer 52 is shownfasbeing raised by excess steam pressure, enabling the steam to bediscgcsawfio charged into the hollow post `of 4the handle. As shown inFig. 4 the inside of jthe base portionof the steam dome 29 is providedwith screw Vthreads accommodating a threaded nipple 2Ia of the boilerVand casing, and the walls of the steam dome are made hexagonal as at29a to accommodate a wrench whereby the dome and valve assemblage may bereadily demounted, lor used to rcplacea single purpose steam dome inexisting irons. vThus the combined steam dome, emptying valve and safetyvalve assemblage may be produced as a single replacement unit, and whensuch unit is substituted for the steam dome on an existing steam iron itwill-provide for quick and easy complete emptying of theboiler, and fprovide a reliable safety valve action. In connection'with this latterit will be noted that operation of the valve to empty the iron willdisclose or correct any tendency to stickiness Awhich might impair itsfunctioning in the important role of a safety valve.

Operation is as follows:

When it is desired to fill the boiler 2| the operator merely releasesthe latch for thehandle and raises the handle structure to the positionof Fig. 3. He may if he desires lift the washer 52 to the raisedposition shown in Fig. 4, venting the boiler 2l through the steam dome.However, this is not essential as the boiler would normally be ventedthrough the steam discharge openings 2% in the sole plate 20. 'I'heoperator then pours water into the funnel 34 of the filler opening 32.By virtue of the air being vented as above set forth, water will enterthe boiler through the funnel 34 without bubbling or splattering, and

quickly fill the boiler. Even if the iron is hot, the tendency for thewater to splatter or be thrown up or back will be minimized by thestopper construction, as already explained.

When it is desired to empty the boiler, the user merely inverts the ironwith the handle structure 23 in raised position and. with the stopper 52raised. Water will run out of the boiler through the steam dome opening,and due to the crowned shape of the boiler top and the high position ofthe steam dome, substantially all of the water will now from the boiler.y

For the purpose of providing a more stable control of the iron body whenthe handle structure 23 is in raised position a latch mechanism-56 may gY be provided in conjunction with the hinge means at the rear of theboiler casing 22. Such latch mechanism 56 may include a manuallyoperable release knob l", and may operate toA automatically latchthehandle in raised position, and to release the handle when the knob A5'!is shifted. Details of one type of latch mechanism may be rhad byreferring to my copending application,

Serial No. 128,270, iiled November 19, 1949 entitled Steam and DryFlatiron.

A modification of the invention is shown in Fig. .6, wherein the stopperfor the filler opening isprovided with indicator means to show when theboiler .is properly filled. This indicator means comprises aoat intheform of a ball 58 carried within a barrel 36h slidably mounted in `afunnel Sab. The barrel SGbcarries a sealing Y the walls of the openingin the funnel 34h.

When the stopper and-barrel are in raised position, illustrated in-F'ig.6, the water level in the boiler will be indicated by the float 58,apprising a user-of` the filled condition of the boiler.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claimsand portions of the improvements maybe used without others.

I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a unitary, combined steam dome,emptying valve and Vsafety valve for a steam iron, comprising a thimblehaving a discharge opening in its top, and having means on its base forsecuring it to a boiler; a stopper for the discharge opening; meansmounting the stopper on the thimble for movement between sealing anddischarging positions; means yieldably holding the stopper in sealingposition, said means yielding in response to excess steam pressure onthe stopper to unseat the latter and relieve said steam pressure; andcooperating means on the valve mounting means and thimble for holdingthe Valve in discharge position.

2. The invention as dened in claim l, in which the stopperrmountingmeans comprises a barrel passing through and slidable axially in theopening of the thimble, said barrel having discharge openings in itswalls, and in which the yielding means comprises a spring carried on thebarrel.

3. Asa new article of manufacture, a unitary, combined steam dome,emptying valve and safety valve for a steam iron, comprising a thimblehaving a discharge opening in its top, and having mounting means on itsbase; a stopper for the discharge opening; means mounting the-stopper onthe thimble for movement between sealing and discharge positions; andcooperating meansfon the thimble and stopper mounting means yieldablyholding the stopper in either of said positions-in which it is placed.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a unitary, combined steam dome,emptying valve and safety valve for a steam iron, comprising a thimbleformed of drawn sheet metal with hexagonal walls, said thimble having adischarge opening in its top, and having an outwardly flanged baseprovided with internal screw threads; a stopper furthe dischargeopening; means mountingthe stopper on the Vthimble for movement betweensealing and discharge positions; and means yieldably holding the stopperin eitherrof said `positions Vin which it is placed, said meansincluding a resilient finger carried by the mounting means for thestopper, engageable with an edge portion `ofthe thimble at the dischargeopening thereof when indischarge position.

5. in a steam iron, a boiler having a water discharge opening; a-stopperfor the discharge opening; means mounting the stopper on-theboiier forvmovement between sealing and discharge positions, lsaid means includinga barrel extending through said discharge opening and movable axiallytherein, and said barrel having discharge openings in its Vwails; andmeans yieldably helding thestopper in either or" said positions in whichit is placed, including a compression spring carriedby the barrel and,including a resilient finger lanced' from the wall of the barrel inposition to engage with an edge of the discharge opening when the barrelis in discharge position.

6. In a steam iron, a boiler having a water opening; a stopper for saidopening; a handle for the iron, mounted-on the iron for movement betweenan operative position adjacent the boiler and a position remote from theboiler to expose said stopper; means mounting the stopper on the boilerfor movement between positions sealing or unsealing the water opening;means yieldably holding said stopper in either of said positions inwhich it is placed, including means for moving the stopper to sealingposition when it is shifted a predetermined extent toward said positionfrom the unsealing position; and means responsive to movement of thehandle from its remote to its adjacent position, for automaticallymoving the stopper said extent toward its sealing position `when it isin unsealing position, thereby to seal the opening whenever the handleis in operative position.

'7. In a steam iron, a boiler having an opening in its top portion;safety valve means on the boiler, comprising a stopper for said opening;means passing through said opening, mounting the stopper for movementbetween seated and unseated positions; means yieldably holding thestopper in seated position, said means yielding in response to excesssteam pressure in the boiler to relieve said pressure; and a shieldmovably mounted on the iron and normally xed in position overlying saidstopper to prevent steam from discharging upward when the stopper isunseated to relieve steam pressure.

8. The invention as defined in claim 7, in which there is a handlestructure pivotally mounted on the iron, and in which the shield meanscomprises a hollow post of said handle structure.

9. A steam iron comprising a water tank; lling means for the tankincluding a :filling orifice; closure means for said orice, said tankhaving another orice above the normal level of the water in the tank,through which air in the tank can escape while the tank is being filledthrough said illing orifice; closure means for the secondnamed orifice,carried by the tank for movement between open and closed positions; andmeans including a manually-operable member for shifting both saidclosure means to closed positions, said member comprising an ironinghandle for manipulating the iron, hingedly mounted on the iron forclosure-actuating movement from an inoperative position swung away fromthe tank to an operative position disposed over the tank.

l0. A steam iron comprising a water tank having filling means in anupper portion, including an orifice, and having an air vent in saidportion, spaced from the orifice; a closure for said orice; a closurefor vent, lcarried by the tank for movement between open and closedpositions; and means including a manually operable member movable withrespect to the tank, for moving the closures against the orifice andvent with a single movement oi said member.

11. In a steam iron, a tank having an opening for the passage of iiuid;a stopper for said opening; a handle for manipulating the iron, mountedon the iron for movement between an operative position adjacent the tankand a position remote from the tank; means mounting the stopper on thetank for movement between positions sealing and unsealing the wateropening thereof; means yieldably holding the stopper in either of saidpositions in which it is placed; and means for overcoming said yieldableholding means and shifting the stopper from unsealing to sealingpositions in response to movement of the handle from its remote to itsoperative position.

12. As a new article of manufacture, a unitary, combined steam dome,emptying valve and safety valve comprising a thimble having a waterdischarge opening at the top thereof; a barrel eX- tending through saiddischarge opening and movable axially of the thimble, a stoppercomprising a flanged disk having a sealing washer therein connected tothe end of the barrel to engage and seal the opening in the thimble,said barrel being movable between sealing and discharge positions andhaving discharge openings in its `walls adjacent the stopper; and meansyieldably holding the stopper in either of said positions in which it isplaced, including a compression spring carried by the barrel and aresilient nger lanced from the wall of the barrel in position to engagewith an edge of the discharge opening in the thimble when the barrel isin discharge position.

13. As a new article of manufacture, a unitary, combined steam dome,emptying valve and safety valve comprising a thirnble having a waterdischarge opening at the top thereof; a stopper for the dischargeopening; means mounting the stopper on the thimble for movement betweensealing and discharge positions, said means including a barrel extendingthrough said discharge opening or the thirnble and movable axially ofthe thimble and said barrel having discharge openings in its wallsadjacent the stopper; and means yieldably holding the stopper in eitherof said positions in which it is placed, including a compression springcarried by the barrel and a resilient nger lanced from the wall of thebarrel below the top of the discharge openings in the barrel and inposition to engage with an edge of the discharge opening of the thimblewhen the barrel is in discharge position, said compression springyielding in response to excess pressure to unseat the stopper and movethe barrel through the discharge opening in the thimble sufficiently toexpose the discharge openings in the barrel to relieve the excesspressure without moving the resilient nger into holding position wherebysaid valve automatically ree-loses upon relief of said excess pressure.

i4. A steam iron comprising a boiler having a lling opening; meansextending around the fillopening and into the boiler, providing a waterpassage into the tank, said means extending below the top of the boilerand preventing complete emptying of the boiler through said nllingopening, said boiler having an emptying opening spaced from the filleropening and located at its uppermost portion in unobstructedcommunication. with every part oi the boiler when the steam iron isinverted whereby the boiler may be completely drained of water throughsaid emptying opening; a valve seat around said emptying opening; and avalve mounted on the boiler for controlled movement between an openposition clear of the valve seat and a closed position on the seat,

/ References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberAName Date 2,189,769 Deems Feb. 6, 1940 2,279,215 Theilgaard Apr. '7,1942 2,343,555 Huffman Mar. 7, 1944 2,432,205 Morton Dec. 9, 19472,475,572 Schreyer July 5, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date649,038 Germany Mar. 5, 1938

